For a long time I have heard many people warn me to be careful with where my emotions lead me. It had always irritated me and left me very confused. I often received it as people telling me to not feel or express how I felt. Yet, now in month five I am realizing what people were telling me all along.
Jesus through out His life expressed lots of emotion. We read about it in when Lazarus, His friend, died. When He flipped tables over in the temple. And, when He cried out in anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had emotions and He shared it with others. The thing Jesus didn’t do was let His emotions lead Him away from God.
Jesus knew God’s character and believed it wholeheartedly; thus, when hard things came about or sorrow overtook Him, He leaned into God’s, not into His fleshly understanding.
Jesus didn’t let His sorrow blame God; He let His sorrow be comforted by God. Jesus didn’t let His anger revile against God; He let it fuel the truths He knew about God. Jesus didn’t let His anxiety dismiss God’s plan; He let it be taken over by God’s plan.
Jesus’ emotions were expressions comforted by God’s character, not something He controlled or tried to process in His own capabilities and wisdom. He needed God.
For so long the world has put negative connotations with feeling emotions, especially on men. The world combines feelings with weakness, and shames society for feeling them. However, honestly, the world has it right: emotions do point to our weakness, there just shouldn’t be shame in recognizing we need God.
We are weak human beings who cannot process or handle the full weight of life. We are weak compared to God’s sovereignty and love.
So, emotions should lead us to God, because we can’t solve or comfort our hurts or wounds from the world. Emotions should create dependence on God not separation from God.
Responding to emotions is a choice. We can either claim victory over ourselves in remembering what God has done for us, or we can blame, accuse, and doubt who God is.
God is a Father to us. He is kind, honest, giving, loving, gentle, patient, and sovereign. He is all knowing, steadfast, and never changing. God is a friend, a comforter, a teacher, and a father to us. He never wavers, and the word reveals this to us from Genesis to Revelation.
Ultimately, we can trust Him and depend on Him in times of anger, sorrow, or distress. We can chose Him in our emotions instead of let them lead us away from Him.
God has given us emotions for them to be shared with Him and others. Emotions should bring us to into who God is, and reveal how much we need Him, for we are weak compared to Him.
Don’t let your emotions rob your knowledge of who God is.
Let them be comforted by who God is.
